Christmas Eve Smiles

Dawn started running a fever the last day of school before Christmas break.  One word described the first half of her time off - YUCK!  Not being able to be involved inn family activities was a huge downer!  We got a call while she and I were home Christmas Eve while everyone else was at Grandpa and Grandma's celebrating with all of the usual family traditions.  It was Daddy helping us to get hooked up to Skype.  Although the Skype didn't work (seemed to be a user error on my end), we were able to hook Dawn up on face time on my cell phone so she could hear Uncle Jeremy's telling of the Grinch as he reads it every year to all of the cousins.  As you can see by the look on her face, she was so glad to be involved, she was piping in at the right spots and giggling and laughing with all of her cousins from across town.  Technology can sometimes be a real pain, but then there are times that we can be so thankful for the ability to share special memories and moments without having to share germs!

I Want to Help!

It was a dreary day to put up lights on the house but Matthew wanted to help.  This is the best picture I have of him helping to hold the string of lights with Stacey as David attaches them to the house.

Matthew likes to be involved in what is going on around here and tries to help whenever he can.  His new favorite show is Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood which is a spin off of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood.  Each episode has a little song that they sing to reinforce the message.

One of those songs I hear him sing often around the house is "Everyone is big enough, big enough to do something!"  He likes to show us every day what he is big enough to do!

Coffee Diva

Stacey is the coffee making girl in our house.  She loves to make coffee on Saturday morning when we have a little extra time to sit and relax and enjoy a cup or two.  Whenever she hears that it is time to make coffee, she is up and running.  She gets to use our new coffee scoop which I brought home from Door County last month.  It was a little splurge to have something new after 20 years of using the tablespoon measure from the set of measuring spoons we got for our wedding.

Holidays are wonderful with a designated coffee maker in the house.  She knows how to make the perfect ratio of coffee to water, and then she remembers that daddy likes just a smidge of creamer and mom likes a little more to produce a wonderful coffee drinking experience.  She is always willing to jump up and top off a cup if it is getting cool.

Maybe Starbucks is in this girl's future!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The turkey has been eaten and the first 3 rounds of clean up have occurred.  The children are tucked away in their beds and we grown ups are enjoying one last night with Michelle here before she flies back tomorrow.  It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is over and people are talking about the deals they are getting as they stand in line shopping "Black Friday" sales that now start on Thursday night.

I am not a shopper.  I will sit down with my list and search the internet for deals and have them shipped to my door before I go out and fight crowds and the craziness that I find has become part of going to the mall in December.  Memories of Thanksgiving 2012 are these...ice skating with the kids, the sadness of Dawn opening her ornaments to put up on the tree and one of her favorites was broken, only to be replaced soon after by one of my special ones I wanted her to keep for her own.  Incredible Hulk hands for a boy half their size, attempts at gluten free garlic rolls that didn't turn out too bad, and Adonis stopping by with Mom and Dad for supper and a marathon game of UNO with the kids.

The whole day was a great beginning to the upcoming Christmas season.  Rather than what I hear from so many people who dread the holidays, I love everything about the season.  Mostly because my Jesus was born and came to earth to be the God-man who died to makes life possible for me.  What did I do to deserve it?  Not a thing...and he lovingly reminds me of that every time I stumble and feel so awful about it.  Yes, Thanksgiving is a wonderful way to start the Christmas season.  I love reflecting on the year behind and planning for a new year ahead.  While I bake and shop and decorate I love to ponder His love for me and those who mean so much to me!

I am thankful for the ability to watch my family mature and enjoy each other.  I see as Zach shared today "I am thankful for my brothers because I love them" the true depth of his love every day - times 5 when I count all the other little people under my roof.  God has blessed us in such amazing ways.  Each day is such a gift!

Togetherness

November has become our month of being thankful, at least in the United States.  With the popularity of Facebook and other social outlets online, we see a lot more "thankful" lists from people we know well, people we have spent time with before and even those we knew better long ago.

I love that Thanksgiving comes right before we start celebrating God's plan to send His Son to the earth during the Christmas season.  It is the beginning of my annual pondering when I look on the past year and evaluate and then look ahead at the coming year and plan.  Snuggling under a blanket with a warm cup of coffee as the Christmas lights sparkle from the tree makes the whole experience something to look forward to all year.

It is the time for hot drinks in mugs, fleece blankets and afghans folded over the back of the couch to grab when we get chilly reading or watching television.  It is also the time for snuggling and enjoying laughter and silliness along with deeper discussions together about the serious issues of life and where our family wants to spend its time and energy.

Togetherness...we cherish that in our house.  Most especially now as the children are getting older and their world has expanded past the borders of our backyard and into the community to various venues.  We have become busy this year!  I have heard the kids at different times echo my thoughts when they say "Mom, can we just hang out and snuggle tonight, or do we have somewhere we have to go?"  I am thankful for time to spend laughing, talking, sharing and growing together right in our living room!

The Whole World In His Hands

Zach's new love is maps, especially the United States.  He has taught himself the states and most of the capitals in the course of this last 4 months.  His 4th grade siblings who are learning states and capitals in school are appreciating the hints he can give them as they quiz each other.

Imagine his excitement when he got home one day and saw the globe I had hung under his bunk while he was gone. I will often see him studying it and he always wants to find out "where that country is" if we are talking about a new place he hasn't heard about before.

Missionary Visit

This is amazing to me.  I had been reading a few books about missionaries and others who share their story of persecution and survival as a Christian all over the world.  I was excited to find out a few weeks before that Don Richardson was planning on visiting our church and share his experience in New Guinea during the sermon time.

We attended the 8 o'clock service that day as we usually do every week.  All four of the older kids sat and listened intently through the whole service as Mr. Richardson is a very engaging story teller.  As we were ready to leave Dawn wanted to go past the book table where he had his books and DVD's.  She asked me for one of each!  We settled for two since I had one already on my Nook that she could read.  She stood asking questions and finding out more from Mr. Richardson as she had him sign the books and introduced herself.

The next week, for her extra reading time at school she brought his book "Eternity in Their Hearts" to have at her desk to read.  The week before as a birthday gift, she had used a gift card at JoAnn's and bought some clay to craft with.  As the week progressed, I made my way downstairs to see what she was up to.  There in a used shoe box she had constructed a jungle village with all kinds of details.  I wish it was easier to see all of the detail of her creation in this picture.  It is awesome!